Loose-leaf-filing-system posting-tray



. Y H. C. EASTER. v LQosE LEAF FILING SYSTEM PosTlNG TRAY. APPLICATION FILEDAPR. 5. i920.

Patented Nov. 22, 192I.

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H. C. EASTER. LOOSE LEAF FILING SYSTEM POSTING TRAY. APPLICATION FILED APR. 5. 1920.

1,397,61 6. v Patented Nov. 22, 1921.

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HIHIIHIHIIIHHIllilHHH!iHHHHHIHIHIIHIIIHHHHHIIHHIHHHHIHH H. c. EASTER. LOOSE LEAF FILING SYSTEM POSTING I'IVIAY..v

APPLICATION FILED APR. 5, 1920.

1,397, 6 1 6. Patented Nov. 22, 1921.

's SHEETS-SHEET a.

H. c..BAsIEn. LOOSE LEAF FILING SYSTEM POSTING TRAY.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 5y I920.

1,397,6 1 6, Patented Nov. 22, 1921.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

IIL... .Hmmmmm IIIII I( H. C. BASTER. LOOSE LEAF FILING SYSTEM POSTING TRAY. APPLlcATloN FILED APR. s, 1920.

1 ,8 97,6 1 6. l Patented Nov. 22, 1921.

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H. C. BASTER.

LOOSE LEAF FILING SYSTEM POSTING TRAY. APPLIcATIoN FILED Ams. 1920.

1,397,61 6. Patented-Nov, 22, 1921.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

UNlTED STATESw HARRY C. EASTER, OF BENTON HAR-BOR, IYHCHIGAN.

LQOSE-LEAF-FILING-SYSTEM POSTING-TRAY.

Specification of Letters VEatent.

Batented Nov. 22,1921.`

Application iled April 5, 1920. Serial No. 371,296.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, HARRY C. EASTER, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Benton Harbor, Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful lmprovement in Loose Leaf Filing System Posting-Trays, of which the following 1s a specification.

This invention relates to posting trays or other similar apparatus for use in connection with card indexes or loose leaf ling systems. In certain respects, therefore, the invention yis in the nature of an 1mprovement on the construction shown and described in my prior application Serial No. 204,334..

Generally stated, the object of the invention is to provide an improved construction and arrangement which will obviate the necessity of using a sprocket chain or other similar devices for operating the roller whichis employed for upsetting the cards or sheets in the file case.

Another object is to provide an improved construction and arrangement whereby the upsetting roller is shifted in one direction by a weight, automatically so to speak, during the operation of posting and shifting the cards or sheets in the file case, so that the operator or user is required tov shift the roller in one direction only, the said weight then serving to pull the roller back to the other end of the posting tray and file case.

It is also an object to provide certain details and features ofconstruction and combinations tending to increase the general eficiency and the desirability of a loose leaf filingsystem posting tray of this particular character.

To theseand other useful ends the invention consists in matters hereinafter set forth and claimed and` shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a posting tray embodying the principles of the invention, showing the upsetting roller in its lowered position atthe rear end ofv the structure or apparatus. I v

Fig'. 2 is a side elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing the upsetting roller infits raised position near the front end of the structure, and showing the loose leaves or cards of the' filing system in position to be raised or upset by said roller.

F ig. l is a rear end elevation of said structure or apparatus.

' Fig. 5 is a vertical section on line 5 5 in Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section on line 6-6 Y in Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view showing another position of the upsetting roller.

Fig. "8 is a similar view showing said roller in a dierent position.

Fig. 9 is a detail view similar to F ig. 7 ,i but'showing the parts in different positions.L

Asthus illustrated, the invention comprises a body frame 1 mounted on front and rear legs 2 and 3 of any suitable character. The side walls of said body frame are provided with upper tracks 4l and lower tracks 5, the upper tracks having gaps 6 therein, near the rear end of the structure, and the front ends of the tracks l having pivoted sections 7 whichnormally rest upon the front end portions of the tracks 5 for a purpose which will hereinafter more fully appear. The top of the body frame is provided withlongitudinal slots 8 lfor the two upsetting rollers 9,whch latter are mounted upon the transverse shaft 10 and spaced apart thereon to travel in said slots. Said shaft 10 is provided at its ends with wheels 11 which travel on the tracks 4 when the rollers move toward the rear end ofy the structure,

Y and which drop down through the gaps 6 and then travel forward on the tracks 5 when the rollers are pulled toward thefront end of the structure. For this purpose, therefore, a transverse member 12 is provided at its ends with wheels 13 which travel on the lower'tracks 14rof the body frame. Said shaft 12 is also provided with -pinions 15 which engage the racks 16 carried by the tracks 14, whereby the member 12 is always exactly at right angles to the said tracks. Arms 17 connect the shaft 12 with. the shaft 10, and with this arrangement the shaft 10 and the arms 17 swing up and down to permit the wheels 11 to pass from the tracks 5 to the tracks il, and then downwardly through the gaps 5 to the lower position again, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. Vhen the wheels 11 strike the under side of the pivoted track sections 7, the latter are raised, as shown in Fig. 9, and when these track sections fall back'into normal position, the

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y sections 7, as shown in Fig. 8, so that the i Y throughthe ga wheels 11 then ride upwardly from the track rollers 9 are finally in position to travel horizontally in the plane of the tracks a, toward the rear end of the structure or apparatus, until the rollers arrive at the point' where the wheels 1l will again drop down o 6, and the rollers are then moved to the left again.

The instrumentalities for shifting theV rollers 9 back and forth are as follows: A transverse rod 18 is provided with a sheave 19at the front ofthe structure, and a transverse rod 2O is provided'with a sheave 21 at the rear end Vof the structure. VThe cord or llexibleconnection 22 has one end thereof attached to the body frame at 23, and has its otherend attachedto the shaft 12, after passing over the sheave 19, being also ar'- ranged around theV sheave 2 4 which is carrried by the bail-shaped member 25 which is hinged at 26 on the lower edges of the side Y portions of the main body framej A similar cord or flexible-connection 27 has one, end attached Vto the shaft or axle 12, and hasvits other end attached at 28 toA the rear portion of the bodyframe, it being arranged to en- Y gage the sheavev 21 previously mentioned,

and also the sheave 29`which supports the weight 30,7whereby'the rollers- 9`are subject to a constant pull (by saidweight) which tends to .move them towardV the rear end of the posting tray structure, and into the position shown in F ig. 1,. When the leaves or cards to be posted, and tobe upset by the rollers,` are in place inthe file case 3l, which may be ofy any suitablecharacter, the operator or user presses downward on the bailshaped member 25, thus pulling the rollersv 9 forward to the position shown in Fig. 7, so that the Vwheels 11 will pass under the pivoted traclr section 7, and vso that thereafter Y these wheels are free tofr'ide upwardlyupon these pivoted .trackV sections, under the influence of the weight 30, asshown in Fig. S,v

thusv bringing the rollers 9 into the positions Vshown in F ig.r3; and when in this position,

y VVso theV said rollers areY heldagainst displacementby the weight-of the leaves; orV cards in theiilecase.- As .fastias the leaves'or cards are shifted toward the front of theposting tray. the rollers 9, (being. subject to the pull of the weightv 3Q, will-shift toward the rear end of the'posting tray'structure. .Each

time the rollers move toward Ythe rear endrof'v the postingAtravthatfis to say, toward the gaps', severalof'theleaves or sheetsk or Vcards are upsetor raised, as shown in Fig.

3, thus making it possible for the operator or user to more conveniently manipulate vthe said sheets or cards, one at time, in amanner that will be'readily understood. Any- V' suitable means can be employed for support.;

ing the leaves or sheets or cards in the fileY case,the latter being supported bythe ledges than the other.

3l at the top of the body frame of the posting tray structure. Vrlhus, as previously stated, the`V rollers 9 are manually movable in one direction toward the lfront of the posting tray struc-v ture, but are automatically movable in the opposite direction, by the pull of the weight 30, so that after the ,rollers are raised into operative position, nothing further is then necessary on the vpart of the operator or user, inasmuch as the mere manipulation` 4and shifting ofthe sheets or leaves or cards manner explained, and the construction and Inode of operation are thus reduced to a very simple and practical form or character, so

that the structure is comparatively inexpen- Y sive to manufacture. The axis of the rollers V9 is always at right angles to the traclrsbywhich they are supported, inasmuch as the pinions 15`and the racks 16 lreep the shaft or axleV l2eXactly at right angles to said tracks, said Vpinions being .fixed on said'shaft 12, so that one pinion can never rotate fasterV Vhen Vthe leaves all shifted, the rollers 9 will then move of their own accord, under thel influence of the weight 30,to the position where the wheels 11 willdrop down through the gapsl 6, and in this way, theapparatus is automatically Vrestored to normal condition when the last of the leaves are finally transferred Vto the front of the drawer. c It will be understood, of course, that in practice the upset leaves are talrenout one byv oneand posted, suitableentries being made thereon, and when returned they fare placed at the front of the drawer, so that the rollerV keeps moving-.gradually bach to-V wardfthe rear end of the drawer, Vthus upset#- tinga few of the leaves ata time, until the user or person doing the posting has com,v

pleted the work. n

What l claim as my invention is 1. ln a device of the class described, means for su D Dortino a lilin `drawer,thereon and l D D 3 means'associated withy said meansforiip-V setting leaves in said draweriwhen -tho drawer is supported on the 'firstV named; means, in combination. with instrumentalities forautomatically operating said-upsetting means, whereby the latter are, :by l,the manipulation or shifting of the "leaves,

caused to move intermittently toward the Vrear end of the filing dra-wer. i

2. 'The combination of a Vreceptaclezfor A holding leaves or sheets or cards in a more orless upright position, with their upper edges substantially even yor flush, upsetting meansY to engage the lower edges of said leaves or sheets or cards, and instrumentalities whereby said means are movable into position to raise some of said leaves or sheets or cards to bring the upper edges thereof above the others, said instrumentalities includ-ingfront and rear flexible connections and parallel tracks for controlling the back and forth movements of said means, devices for manually controlling the 'fronti' flexible connection, and means for autosl niatically controlling the rear flexible con* nection, so that said upsetting means are manually movable in one direction and au tomatically movable in the opposite direction.

3. A structure as specified in claim l, said upsetting means comprising one or more rollers arranged to engage the lower edges of said leaves.

d. A structure as specified in claim 2, said upsetting means comprising one or more rotary members arranged to engage the lower edges of said leaves.

5. A structure as specified in claim 2, said tracks comprising upper and lower parallel sections, pivoted end sections for the upper tracks, with gaps in said upper track sections, said pivoted sections being normally inclined to rest upon the lower track sections, and said upsetting means having supporting elements which travel on said tracks and which travel under and raise said pivoted track sections and then move upwardly on the latter to transfer the upsetting means from the lower tracks to the upper tracks, and said supporting elements being adapted Y to fall through said gaps to transfer said upsetting means from the upper tracks tothe lower tracks.

6. A structure as specied in claim l, in which the instrumentalities for moving the upsetting means include racks and pinions to maintain the axis of said upsetting means at right angles to said tracks.

7'. A structure as specified in claim 2, in which the instrumentalities for moving the upsetting means include, racks arranged parallel with said tracks, and means forni ing an axis for said upsetting means, and pinioiis mounted on said axis and engaging said racks to maintain the axis of said upsetting means at right angles to said tracks.

8. The 'combination of a receptacle consisting of a filing drawer for holding leaves or sheets or cards in a more or less upright position, with their upper edges substantially even or Hush, a table on which the drawer is adapted to be supported, means on said table to engage the lower edges of said leaves or sheets or cards, and instrumentalities whereby said means is movable into position to raise some of said leaves or sheets or cards to bring the upper edges thereof to move said roller back and forth below the group of leaves or sheets or cards in said receptacle, said devices including means to manually move the roller toward the front of the receptacle, and means to automati cally move the roller toward the rear end of said receptacle.

9.V The combination of a receptacle consisting of a filing drawer for holding leaves or sheets or cards in a more or less upright position, with their upper edges substantially even or flush, a table on which the drawer is adapted to be supported, means on said table to engage the lower edges of said leaves or sheets or cards, and instrumentalities whereby said means is movable into position to raise some of said leaves or sheets or cards to bring the upper edges thereof above the others, said means including a roller having a horizontal axis of rotation, and said instrumentalities including parallel tracks for supporting the axis of said roller in one horizontal plane while moving toward one end of the receptacle and other tracks which support said axis in a lower horizontal plane while moving toward the 'other end of the receptacle, in combination with a flexible connection to move said roller toward the front of the said receptacle, means whereby to manually control said flexible connection and an automatically controlled iiexible connection to move said roller toward the rear end of said receptacle. Y

l0. The combination of a receptacle consisting of a filing drawer for holding leaves or sheets or cards in a more or less upright position, with their upper edges substantially even or flush, a table on which the drawer is adapted to be supported, means on said table to engage the lower edges of said leaves or sheets or cards, and instrumentalities whereby said means is movable into position to raise some of said leaves or sheets or cards. to bring the upper edges thereof above the others, said receptacle having a longitudinal slot in the bottom thereof, and said means including a roller movable in said slot, in combination with a front flexible connection, means whereby said connection is manually controllable to move said roller toward the front of the receptacle, and an automatically controlled rear flexible connection to move said roller toward the rear end of the receptacle.

11. The combination of a drawer adapted to contain leaves or sheets or cards arranged with their upper edges substantially flush, having means whereby the leaves or sheets or cards may be spread apart to facilitate inspection thereof, a table to support said drawer, a member movable along the top of said table to elevate some of said leaves or sheets or cards above the others, instrnmen-y tion, a second flexible connection having one teltes on said table to move Seid member end thereo3 connected to Said member and l0 backend forth belowr said drawer, Vand guides having its other end attached to said table, for said member7 Said netrumentztltes comand means for constantly exerting et pull on 5 prisng aJv front Y exble connection having said Second exble'connecton, so that when one end connectedto said table and its other in use said member tends constantlyto move end connected to said member,A e bail-shaped toward the rear end of the table. A member for operating said fexble connec- HARRY C.AS'lllR.A 

